Long Lake vs Rice Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Long Lake and Rice Lake read the same on nutrients and algae. Both are in Stearns County, Minnesota.
Long Lake and Rice Lake are both in Minnesota — a same-state head-to-head where the comparison comes down to lake-specific differences in depth, watershed, and monitoring history rather than the broader state-level water-quality regime. These two sit close on the readings, Long Lake versus Rice Lake. The deciding factors for a recreational visitor are likely physical (depth, access, fish species) rather than water-quality differences.
With readings this close, the choice between the two lakes turns on non-water-quality factors: depth, fish species, public access, distance from home. The per-lake pages below cover all of those.
Long Lake
Very murky, less than 2.5 ft of visibility.
Rice Lake
Very murky, less than 3 ft of visibility.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Long Lake | Rice Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | 2.5 ft | 3 ft Better |
| Phosphorus | 61 µg/L | 50 µg/L Better |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 41 µg/L | 39.5 µg/L Better |
| Maximum Depth | 35 ft | 41 ft Better |
| Surface Area | 487 acres | 1,513 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 23 Better | 21 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | eutrophic |
A green ✓ marks the better value for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better). Surface area and trophic state carry no tick — a bigger lake is not a better lake.
Swap a lake
Compare Long Lake or Rice Lake against a different lake.
Verdict
Both lakes earn the same Grade F. The tiebreakers come down to clarity (Long Lake: 2.5 ft, Rice Lake: 3 ft) and what you want from the lake. Long Lake supports more documented fish species.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.